NDC CONTRACTS INFLATED SAYS AKUFO-ADDO

Nana Akufo-Addo

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2016 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,   says the perception that the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has been bloating contract sums is real.

“Many have expressed deep anxieties about the cost (Kasoa Interchange) and it is definitely one of the things leading to the perception of corruption in government,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated yesterday at the 2^nd Alhaji Aliu Mahama Memorial Lecture.

The lecture was organized by Aliu Mahama foundation in memory of the former Vice President at the packed Banquet Hall in Accra on the theme: “One Ghana: Securing our future”.

Where Is The Money?

He said his able lieutenant, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on a recent speech in London produced a list of flagship projects that the government highlighted in the 2015 Budget as having been embarked upon in the past six years.

“All these signature projects sum up to some $3.5 billion out of the increase in total debt by the equivalent, at the time of borrowing, of some $27 billion,” he said, adding “the issue becomes even clearer when the 21 projects are subjected to value-for-money scrutiny.”

Kasoa Interchange

“Let’s pick just one: the eleventh project on the list: the Kasoa Interchange, which is to be constructed at the cost of $172 million. I have already made reference to this particular project and the cost on some other occasions.”

He said “those who know about these matters have expressed anxiety to me. I also take on board the explanation that government spokespersons have offered about why the cost appears bloated when compared to the cost of building the six-lane N1 Highway, with two interchanges, and the paying of compensation for those whose properties had to give way for the road. I accept that the government is not building an ordinary interchange.

But as I have said, many have expressed deep anxieties about the cost and it is definitely one of the things leading to the perception of corruption in government.”

Nana Akufo-Addo asked “so, where is the rest of the money?”

He asked President Mahama to double check the figures because they appear bloated and inflated, especially since the project did not go through any tender but sole sourced to a Brazilian construction firm, Queiroz Galvao, the same company undertaking the Nkrumah circle interchange and Tamale airport expansion all sole sourcing.

 “I want to make a humble suggestion to His Excellency the President. Check the figures! Check them again! Invite others in an international open tender and let’s see if we can’t save the nation more than half of what you have signed us up to pay.”

Nana Addo took a swipe at the government for what he says was its lack of commitment in the fight against rampant corruption in the country.

“Corruption is undermining confidence in our governance system and that is dangerous for all of us,” the 2016 opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer said adding “We have to deal with it, and do so urgently.”

Humble Appeal

Nana Akufo-Addo said “the President certainly does not have to listen to me, he might very well think he is within his rights and he might even think to go back on a decision he has already made and subject the contract to a second look would be a truly unprecedented act.”

“Yes, it would be unprecedented, but it would show strength rather than weakness on the part of the President and it could lead to a regeneration of trust in our governance process. Try it, Mr. President and let’s see what happens. You have nothing to lose”, he stated.

Public Purse

He said “If we are to succeed in securing our future, we must succeed in securing the public purse…Governments are elected to offer creative solutions to the problems that face a country.”

“Corruption, or to call it by the name that we all understand, the naked theft of public funds, will destroy Ghana and her future if we do not take a firm stand against it.

He said the law enforcement agencies particularly the Ministries of Justice and Interior, the Police Service, EOCO, CHRAJ, the Office of the Auditor General have to be reformed and strengthened so that they can effectively fulfill their primary goals of ensuring the security of the nation and protecting the people from criminal activities.

Leadership Role

Nana Akufo-Addo said the President and his appointees, MPs, politicians and judges “must demonstrate, by their example, that, indeed, they are up for the fight,” adding “our people need to have that firm assurance now, not just by words or pious declarations, but by concrete deeds.”

He said for Ghana to make economic breakthrough there was the need to “do more than fight corruption and manage our economy competently,” adding “we need to think big and we need to grow our economy.”

Ghana Is Declining

Nana Akufo-Addo further said that the statistics on every facet of Ghanaian life points to the fact that the nation was in a downward spiral under the leadership of the John Mahama led National Democratic Congress government.

He said Ghana, under President Mahama, did not have very much to show in the pursuit of securing the country’s future saying “the people of Ghana expect their government to run the affairs of the country so that the weak and vulnerable will be protected and social services are managed for the public good.”

Quoting from the latest Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, the NPP flagbearer said it showed that Ghana under President Mahama was not doing well.

Nana Akufo-Addo recounted how on August 5, 2014, the Financial Times carried the headline: “Ghana tarnishes ‘Africa Rising’ story”, as Ghana was forced to run back to the IMF for a bailout after years of disengagement.

“We had worked hard to wean ourselves off dependence on the IMF to enable us undertake the growth that would transform our nation. Now with oil, Ghana is on a downward slope. The sudden and calamitous decline has left many friends, many institutions, many investors, totally perplexed. How did it all go so spectacularly wrong?” he asked.